It (2017) – 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

Let’s face it, remaking a beloved classic is a difficult job. Of course, having it be actually good is another story. That’s why the film became such a phenomenon. Not only is the film actually good but it surpasses the original (TV) film in every way. Director Andy Muschietti doesn’t deliver on the same scariness levels as James Wan or David F. Sandberg. That is to say, Muschietti doesn’t build up to his scares or fill a scene with a lot of tension. Regardless, what the film lacks in scares, Muschietti makes up for it with some really creepy imagery.

Despite all that, the film does remain faithful to the themes found in Stephen King’s book. The screenwriters use these themes to ground the film and its characters. In addition, they’re able to make every member of the Losers’ Club a three-dimensional character. It’s not an easy task considering there are seven members of the Losers’ Club. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the rest of the human villains of the film. Every one of them seems to be an 80s movie stereotype.

But what made It so successful is the charismatic performances by the young actors who bring the Losers’ Club to life. Despite their differing personalities, it’s clear that there’s a strong bond between each Losers’ Club member. For this reason, the Losers bring both heart and humor to the film which makes it easy for audiences to root for them. As a matter of fact, much of the scares come from the fact that Pennywise could potentially kill off one of the Losers.

Speaking of Pennywise, Bill Skarsgård succeeds in putting his stamp on a character that’s famously played by Tim Curry. Once again, that wasn’t an easy thing to accomplish. However, Skarsgard provides a chilling and cruel version of the character. Tim Curry’s version was a scene-stealer every time he was on screen. That’s a big difference because the young actors’ performance does overshadow Skarsgård’s performance here. Regardless, his performance is still a memorable one.

Overall, It is a fantastic modern take on Stephen King’s classic novel. The film is heartwarming yet frightening. It’s comedic yet emotional. It’s a lot of things and the filmmakers mostly get it right. Much like the TV films, the decision to split up the source material into two films was a wise one. If the sequel is anything like this film, then we’re all ready to float too.

Movie Review: 4/5 atoms

Video

It hits 4K Ultra HD with a Dolby Vision/HDR10 4K transfer and a 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The difference between the regular and Ultra HD Blu-ray is a minor one. The biggest difference is the brightness of the video. The regular Blu-ray presentation is incredibly bright or incredibly dark. During dim scenes, the details in the dark get lost and there isn’t much contrast either. In the bright scenes, the brightness drowns out the colors of the film.

Thankfully, the HDR fixes all of these problems. There is a lot of shadow details during the dim scenes. In addition, the brightness and contrast are spot on as well. The colors are vibrant and the details are super clear. Overall, this is a great video presentation.

Video Rating: 5/5 atoms

Audio

It hits 4K Ultra HD with a Dolby Atmos-TrueHD and DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track. The review will reflect It‘s core DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track. The audio creates a soundstage that adds so many layers to the film. It’s an amazing and immersive experience. The surround and front speakers amp the scares with its sound and atmospheric effects. The use of each speaker to heighten the scares is a fun experience. Not to mention, the dialogue can clearly be heard in every speaker—not just the center speaker. Of course, the subwoofer gets most of its action from the stereotypical jump scare violin sound effect. Overall, this is a scary fun audio presentation.

Audio Rating: 5/5 atoms

Special Features

It‘s 4K Ultra HD disc doesn’t have any special features on it. However, the regular Blu-ray contains the following special features:

Pennywise Lives!

The Losers’ Club

Author of Fear

Deleted Scenes

Although the special features don’t look like much, they’re still are quite enjoyable to watch. “Pennywise Lives!” is an in-depth look at the creation of the infamous clown. Don’t worry, it’s different than the Pennywise featurette that Warner Bros released prior to the release of the film. It’s crazy to see the amount of work Bill Skarsgård put into the character. In addition, you’ll be surprised as to how much of Pennywise’s look is Bill himself. From the creepy smile to the lazy eye look, it’s all him.

“The Losers’ Club” looks at the camaraderie between the young actors in the film. It’s not an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look but it’s a fun look nonetheless. You get to see why the chemistry between the Losers is so palpable. “Author of Fear” looks at the history of how the novel was written through the words of Stephen King himself. Lastly, the deleted scenes are definitely worth watching. Notably, the opening gag scene where Georgie gets his boat back, much to the chagrin of Pennywise. His reaction is priceless. Overall, this is a nice set of special features for this release.

Special Features Rating: 4/5 atoms

Overall, It isn’t just a terrific horror film. It’s a terrific film about the power of friendship through troubling times. It’s sappy but it’s an effective theme for this film. All the pieces just come together well. The video and audio presentations are first-rate. The special features provide a fun inside look into the different parts of the film. Thankfully, it’s not filled with the typical bland behind-the-scenes featurettes that you find in other releases.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 atoms

This Blu-ray was reviewed using a retail/advance copy/unit provided by Warner Bros Home Entertainment.